The Internet, which is a human centered connectivity network where humans generate and consume information, is now evolving to the Internet of Things (IoT) where distributed entities, such as things, exchange and process information without human intervention. The Internet of Everything (IoE), which is a combination of the IoT technology and the Big Data processing technology through connection with a cloud server, has emerged. As technology elements, such as “sensing technology”, “wired/wireless communication and network infrastructure”, “service interface technology”, and “Security technology” have been demanded for IoT implementation, a sensor network, a Machine-to-Machine (M2M) communication, Machine Type Communication (MTC), and so forth have been recently researched.
Such an IoT environment may provide intelligent Internet technology services that create a new value to human life by collecting and analyzing data generated among connected things. IoT may be applied to a variety of fields including smart home, smart building, smart city, smart car or connected cars, smart grid, health care, smart appliances and advanced medical services through convergence and combination between existing Information Technology (IT) and various industrial applications.
Further, according to advance of a communication technology and enhancement of hardware performance, services provided using an electronic device offer more diversity. For example, various services based on data sharing between multiple electronic devices are developed. The data sharing provides contents stored or created in one electronic device to at least one other electronic device, and thus multiple electronic devices can consume the same contents. Specifically, video contents stored in one electronic device are shared with another electronic device having a larger screen, and thus a user can view the video contents on the larger screen. Also, image contents captured by one electronic device can be shared with other electronic devices of users who are subjects. Also, to simply provide particular data to other electronic device, a service based on the data sharing can be used.
As the communication technology advances and is generalized, the data sharing can be conducted through a wired/wireless communication means. Generally, when a user A is to share data with a user B, the following process can be performed. First, the data sharing can be conducted via a sharing server on Internet. In this case, when the user B for receiving the data is registered in the sharing server, the user A of an electronic device which provides the data can scan and select the user B, and create a sharing group. However, when the user B is not registered in the sharing server, the user B registers as a user in the sharing server and the data sharing is feasible after a registration IDentification (ID) of the user B is obtained. Practically, it is hard to share data regardless of the registration in the sharing server and the registration ID acquisition. Secondly, the data sharing can be conducted using a short-range wireless network. In this case, as the electronic device of the user A serves as an Access Point (AP) and the electronic device of the user B serves as a station, a communication connection can be established and then data can be shared. Notably, in this case, pre-registration in the sharing server and the registration ID acquisition are not necessary as in the aforementioned example, but a wireless initial connection procedure defined in a corresponding wireless communication technology is required. To simplify the initial connection procedure, a sharing group method using Near Field Communication (NFC) tagging which is one of Out-Of-Band (OOB) technologies or using Personal Identification Number (PIN) is suggested. However, it is still inconvenient to physically contact for the NFC tagging, or to share and input the PIN.
As discussed above, the data sharing via the sharing server on the Internet limits a target for receiving data, to a pre-registered user. Also, the data sharing using the short-range wireless network carries a procedural burden in conducting the inconvenient wireless initial connection procedure.